EP Ram Bergman on Poker Face, Natasha Lyonne's charisma and new projects with Rian Johnson #MCTVF
Ram Bergman
At the 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival TVBIZZ's Yako Molhov talked to Ram Bergman - the executive producer behind Peacock's hit original series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne. Bergman, who has produced hits like Brick (2005), The Brothers Bloom (2008), Looper (2012), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) revealed details about his first TV series, the inspiration behind it, his work with long-term creative partner Rian Johnson and their prod co T-Street; etc.
Bergman revealed the story behind the creation of Poker Face - his creative partner Rian Johnson with whom he has been working for 20 years came up with the idea - during COVID he was binging a lot of Columbo and thought it would be a great idea to do a case-of-the-week show like the show he grew up with, like shows that people don't do anymore. He met Natasha Lyonne at a party (Lyonne plays the main role in the series) during the time when Russian Doll was streaming on Netflix and he could feel her charisma coming out of the screen and he sat with her, pitched the show to her, with Lyonne not believing at first that he would write the show for her and eventually she liked the idea and a few months later a script was ready and she said "let's do it".
The creative duo Bergman-Johnson had not done TV shows up to that point and deliberated "how can we make it our show", to feel like a Rian Johnson movie.
Poker Face wasn't something calculated, the two filmmakers were not doing projects during the covid pandemic and decided that a show "sounds fun, so let's do it". The challenge was that the second movie in the Knives Out franchise - Glass Onion - was being produced at the same time as Poker Face.
When asked by TVBIZZ about Peacock's involvement in particular and whether other streamers were interested (Bergman and Johnson have been working with Netflix on Knives Out already), the EP commented that they are very entrepreneurial when moving ahead with a project, they don't pitch it - first Johnson had the script ready, then they secured Lyonne and afterwards they met with potential buyers. He commented that Lyonne is "brilliant, she is a force, she will soon start making her own movies - write, direct and star in her projects; she is unique, she has so much charisma - if it weren't for Natasha, I doubt Rian would have made the show. What got him excited was to write a story for Natasha".
Bergman commented that "surprisingly enough, even though a lot of the streamers wanted the show, they were very sceptical because none of them were doing case-of-the-week shows. When you were pitching the show, you can see in their eyes 'where is the arc of the show' - this is not serialized, they were struggling with that concept. Peacock - they got it right away, they needed the show the most because they were a new streamer and wanted it the most and they were very committed". Bergman added that they have learned over the years that you want to go with people who wanted it the most and who needed it the most, when it comes to projects. It was the same case with Knives Out - the first one, Lionsgate, as a distributor, they needed it the most and they wanted it the most. That is why we went with Peacock and we partnered with Paramount (Global Content Distribution) to sell the international rights. "The experience with both of them has been really good for us".
In terms of his work with Johnson on Poker Face and all other projects Bergman confessed that everything they do is a challenge, otherwise it is boring. This was the first time he created a TV show - like 10 movies, completely new cast, new environment, dealing with the grind of TV where you have less time, to tell the story in a specific amount of time. It was a challenge but he loved it - Poker Face will help them to make their new movies, he doesn't know yet how but is sure this will help them in future work. The series has 10 movies, you have to cast many people for each episode, so many sets and locations, shooting and recasting all the time - like doing 10 movies but in less time.
As far as releasing projects on streamers are concerned, the EP commented that right now there are discussions whether projects should be on a weekly basis or binging - "I don't know the real answer, you can see both sides and it really depends on the show".
When it comes to new projects for T-Street, Bergman revealed that they are working on a new show called 3 Body Problem (an upcoming science fiction television series created by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss and Alexander Woo based on the novel of the same name by Liu Cixin; expected to premiere on Netflix in January 2024), they are doing a third Knives Out movie, a film called Fair Play that premiered on Sundance and will be on Netflix, the next season of Poker Face - Bergman said that they were trying not to do too many projects at once. Regarding seasons planned for the series - he noted that it is a show that can go for many years since you don't have limitations, a four or five-year arc; etc.
Asked by TVBIZZ about some numbers for Poker Face from Peacock, Bergman commented that the streamers don't reveal numbers but he read that according to Nielsen the show was a very big success for the streamer. He also talked to the distributor and in other territories the show also proved a big success.
The secret to the Bergman-Johnson's continuing success, according to the EP - is that Johnson is "a gifted story-teller and a great writer, even a better director, the nicest human being you could ever meet". And if there is a checklist when picking up new projects, Bergman noted there is one main box to tick - the people. He cares foremost about the people - "it takes a lot of time to work on a project and you want to spend it with a person you really like, that you believe in them".
Bergman revealed the story behind the creation of Poker Face - his creative partner Rian Johnson with whom he has been working for 20 years came up with the idea - during COVID he was binging a lot of Columbo and thought it would be a great idea to do a case-of-the-week show like the show he grew up with, like shows that people don't do anymore. He met Natasha Lyonne at a party (Lyonne plays the main role in the series) during the time when Russian Doll was streaming on Netflix and he could feel her charisma coming out of the screen and he sat with her, pitched the show to her, with Lyonne not believing at first that he would write the show for her and eventually she liked the idea and a few months later a script was ready and she said "let's do it".
The creative duo Bergman-Johnson had not done TV shows up to that point and deliberated "how can we make it our show", to feel like a Rian Johnson movie.
Poker Face wasn't something calculated, the two filmmakers were not doing projects during the covid pandemic and decided that a show "sounds fun, so let's do it". The challenge was that the second movie in the Knives Out franchise - Glass Onion - was being produced at the same time as Poker Face.
When asked by TVBIZZ about Peacock's involvement in particular and whether other streamers were interested (Bergman and Johnson have been working with Netflix on Knives Out already), the EP commented that they are very entrepreneurial when moving ahead with a project, they don't pitch it - first Johnson had the script ready, then they secured Lyonne and afterwards they met with potential buyers. He commented that Lyonne is "brilliant, she is a force, she will soon start making her own movies - write, direct and star in her projects; she is unique, she has so much charisma - if it weren't for Natasha, I doubt Rian would have made the show. What got him excited was to write a story for Natasha".
Bergman commented that "surprisingly enough, even though a lot of the streamers wanted the show, they were very sceptical because none of them were doing case-of-the-week shows. When you were pitching the show, you can see in their eyes 'where is the arc of the show' - this is not serialized, they were struggling with that concept. Peacock - they got it right away, they needed the show the most because they were a new streamer and wanted it the most and they were very committed". Bergman added that they have learned over the years that you want to go with people who wanted it the most and who needed it the most, when it comes to projects. It was the same case with Knives Out - the first one, Lionsgate, as a distributor, they needed it the most and they wanted it the most. That is why we went with Peacock and we partnered with Paramount (Global Content Distribution) to sell the international rights. "The experience with both of them has been really good for us".
In terms of his work with Johnson on Poker Face and all other projects Bergman confessed that everything they do is a challenge, otherwise it is boring. This was the first time he created a TV show - like 10 movies, completely new cast, new environment, dealing with the grind of TV where you have less time, to tell the story in a specific amount of time. It was a challenge but he loved it - Poker Face will help them to make their new movies, he doesn't know yet how but is sure this will help them in future work. The series has 10 movies, you have to cast many people for each episode, so many sets and locations, shooting and recasting all the time - like doing 10 movies but in less time.
Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face
As far as releasing projects on streamers are concerned, the EP commented that right now there are discussions whether projects should be on a weekly basis or binging - "I don't know the real answer, you can see both sides and it really depends on the show".
When it comes to new projects for T-Street, Bergman revealed that they are working on a new show called 3 Body Problem (an upcoming science fiction television series created by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss and Alexander Woo based on the novel of the same name by Liu Cixin; expected to premiere on Netflix in January 2024), they are doing a third Knives Out movie, a film called Fair Play that premiered on Sundance and will be on Netflix, the next season of Poker Face - Bergman said that they were trying not to do too many projects at once. Regarding seasons planned for the series - he noted that it is a show that can go for many years since you don't have limitations, a four or five-year arc; etc.
Asked by TVBIZZ about some numbers for Poker Face from Peacock, Bergman commented that the streamers don't reveal numbers but he read that according to Nielsen the show was a very big success for the streamer. He also talked to the distributor and in other territories the show also proved a big success.
The secret to the Bergman-Johnson's continuing success, according to the EP - is that Johnson is "a gifted story-teller and a great writer, even a better director, the nicest human being you could ever meet". And if there is a checklist when picking up new projects, Bergman noted there is one main box to tick - the people. He cares foremost about the people - "it takes a lot of time to work on a project and you want to spend it with a person you really like, that you believe in them".
